How to Breed Kribensis Cichlids

With intriguing parental behaviors and stunning coloration, the kribensis cichlid is an excellent addition to any aquarium setup, while being easy to keep as well.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• freshwater aquarium setup complete with rocks/plants
• aquarium heater/thermometer
• water chemistry test kit
• one male and one female Kribensis for every 20-30 gallons of water.

1. 
   Male Kribensis

   Introduce your Kribensis to an aquarium which has several caves and hiding places for the female to lay her eggs.

2. Regulate the temperature at a steady 78 degrees F to encourage spawning.

3. 
   The brighter the color of your fish, the better the water quality is...

   Maintain the pH at a steady 7.0 to ensure an even mix of males/females. Water too acidic or alkaline will produce a batch of mostly one sex. Test your water at least weekly for pH and continue 10% water changes once per week to help regulate the pH. If you add CO2, this task will be more difficult.

4. Depending on the age and compatibility of your Kribensis, you should have a batch of about 20-30 fry within three months (younger fish) or even a few days! Your fry will feed on sediment in the aquarium until they are one month old and will reach sexual maturity within 8-10 months.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep only one male and female. Introducing uneven numbers of Kribensis will result in the odd one being killed. They form lifelong relationships, so if one of a pair dies, do not simply replace it since they will likely not mate but only fight. Just buy a new pair.
• You can sell each batch of fry to the local fish store when they are about .75-1 inch long. (ex: 15 Kribensis, wholesale value of $2.50 each = $37.50!)
• Make sure there are not large or aggressive fish in the aquarium, and that it is not overstocked, since Kribensis will fiercely defend their young against any potential threat.
• DO NOT disturb the nest, even after the young are born. The Kribensis will use the same nest thier whole lives (and they live 10-15 years).

[vtafreelance]

on 9/2/2009 Many are asking about this! They seem not knowing that fishes of same family have different types of species and characteristics! This article is very useful to answer how to breed cichlids of the Kribensis type.http://fishy-whisperer.com/CichlidFishSecretsReview.html

[2besure]

on 6/2/2008 Thanks for the article. I always had tropical fish as a child.